Shuttle drive for looms



y 1951 D. E. HOUGHTON 2,552,717

SHUTTLE DRIVE FOR LOOMS Filed March 15, 1950 4 Sheet-Sheet 1' wINVENTOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

May 15,1951 0. E. HOUGHTON 2,552,717

SH UTTLE DRIVE FOR LOOMS Filed March 15, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR."

ATTORNEYS May 15, 1951 Filed March 15, 1950 v D. E. HOUGHTON SHUTTLEDRIVE FOR LOOMS 4 Shets-Sheet 5 HUMAN.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 15, 1951 SHUTTLE DRIVE FORJ LO'OMS Daniel E.Houghton,-,Washington,- D.-C., assignor, by mesneuassignments, to NewYork Wire Cloth Company, York, Pa.,. a corporation of Delaware.

Application MaMh 15, 1950I-Srial No. 149,825

6. Claims (Cl. 139-141) This invention relates tonew methods' fordrivingthe shuttle of. aloom randnew mechanisms for accomplishing.these. methods. More particularly, it is concernedlwithl a new method.for passing a shuttle throughztheshedof. aloom by;

means of shuttle bars and a new typelof mechanism' particularly welladapted to accomplish the'new method of driving the shuttlebars.

Discussion offield' ofimientz'on In the operation of looms for theweaving of c1oth,various factors limit the speed at which. the shuttlemay be transported across the shed of the loom. One of the major factorslimiting this speed of operation is the strain whichis placed upon thefilling, because of shuttle acceleration. Thus, as the speed of the loomis increased,the point is reached, sometimes referredto as the thresholdbreaking point, at which the acceleration during some portion of "thetravel of the shuttle is so high, that so great a stress is placed uponthe filling that the tensile strength'of the filling is'exceeded and thefilling breaks.

Several methods of weaving and new improvements in looms 'have beendevised for permitting the shuttle to be picked at greater velocity thanis possible without the'useof these new'methods' or new mechanisms,while, at the sametime,'de'- creasing the effect of shuttleacceleration; soas the filling and to new mechanisms for driving shuttlebars so as toaccomplish these newweav-- ing methods. adaptableto the artofrwire .clothweaving" and to the loomsnow widely used in the industryfor this purpose.

Objects A principal object of this invention" is the provision of a newmethod for passing theshuttle through the shed of a loom and theprovision of new improvements in loom structures making possible thesemethods of loom operation.

Further objects include:

(1) The provision of new loomstructureszwhich make possible higherrates. of weaving than has The. invention is particularly,

been possible heretofore of. thiseinvention';

(2) The provision of new methodsaancl: new

' mechanisms for use in conjunction therewith for reducing the strainimparted to the filling during thepicking;operation-in wire cloth looms;

(3 The provision. of new shuttle bar drive mechanisms whichmake possiblereduction" in. strain upon the filling,duringthepickingstep,

for. any given speed of weaving;

(4). The provision. of a-. new. methbdfdrthe transfer of the shuttleinaloom from one shuttle bar to another whichl decreases. the. rate ofchange of 'acceleration of the shuttle during. the

(5) The provision of new methods and. loom mechanisms particularlyuseful in. the weaving.

of wire cloth.

Still. further objects and the. entire scope of.

applicability of the present invention will become apparent from thedetailed description. given hereinafter; it. should be understood,however,

that the detailed description. and specificexamples, while indicatingpreferred embodiments of.

the invention, are t given. by. way of. illustration only, since variouschanges and modifications. within the spirit andscopeof the inventionwill."

become apparent to those skilled, in the art from this detaileddescription.

General "descr ption These objects are accomplishedaccording to the.present invention, by a new process for loom operation inlwhicha'shuttle is. driven through the shed of the loom by a shuttlebarwiththeshuttletbeingtpassed on to the second andopposite-shuttle bar before thedelivering shuttle .bar

has reached the end of its travel and when the secondlshuttle bar is inmotion .ofreturn to the selvage andwithdrawing the empty shuttle barwith a greater speed than it is drivenintothe:

shed.

This new method of driving-ialshuttle through theshed-of a loom canbeaccomplished byvarlious means. However, the preferred means, accordingto the-present inventionfor accomplishing this, comprises pivotinga pairof pendulous elements to a loom frame at a common point sub stantiallyabove the center of the lay, connecting thelower free end ofthependulous elements separately toshuttle bars slidably mounted upon oncomparablez; looms. whichdo not? incorporate the'neW improvements- 3opposite sides of the loom frame by connecting means and driving thependulous elements by means of a pair of cranks fixed atan obtuse angleto one another and mounted for oscillation in an arc with the outer endof each crank being movably connected to a separate one of saidpendulous elements for travel longitudinally along the respectiveelement when the crank is oscillated through its arc of movement.

The success of the present invention is due primarily to the discoverythat when the shuttle bars of a loom are driven in the fashion indicatedabove, the ratelof charge of acceleration of the shuttle, particularlyat and about the time when the shuttle is transferred from one shuttlebar to another, is decreased, as compared with methods of transfer ofthe, shuttle used heretofore, so that the shuttle may be passed throughthe 100m shed at a greater average speed without reaching the samemaximum value of acceleration realized with the operation of looms notop-' erated in accordance with the present invention and the shuttle maybe picked without imparting as great a stress to the filling.

Detailed description A more complete understanding of the new methodsand apparatus for use therewith of this invention may be had byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end viewof the lay portion of aloom incorporating the new shuttle bar drivemechanisms of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the portion of the loomshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side View of the apparatus shown in Figure 2, taken alongthe line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary end view of a section of themechanism shown in Figure 1, illustrating the details of construction ofthe connecting rod and shuttle bar portions;

Figure 5 is a top sectional View of the mechanism shown in Figure 4,taken along the line 55 of Figure 4 Figure 6 is an enlarged sectionalview of the movable connection between the crank and pendulous element,taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 2; V

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional View of the roller guide mechanism forthe pendulous element of the shuttle bar drive, taken along the line 7-!of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the shuttle bars and drivemechanism in the position when the shuttle has just started to enter theshed from the left-hand side;

Figure 9 diagrammatically illustrates the position of the shuttle drivecomponents just before transfer of the shuttle; I

I Figure 10 shows the position of the loom components at the moment oftransfer of the shuttle;

Figure 11 illustrates the position of the loom components just after theshuttle has passed from the delivering shuttle bar to the'receivingshut- 4 I4, top members 15, cross member 18, lays and 2 i and reeds 22.

The pendulous elements or lever arms 4 comprise rigid webs 2 3, pivotedat the top end 26 on the bolt 28 which is journalled in the bracket 30which, in turn, is fastened by bolts 32 to the top frame member 5. Thelower free ends 35 of the webs 24 are provided with a series of holes 36to receive clevis pins of the connecting rods H3, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter. The central portion of the webs 2% are providedwith longitudinal slots 38.

Bolted to the cross member It by bolts '36 there is a support member 42which is provided at the I lower end 44 thereof with a guide unit 46conas by bolts or rivets 52, to one of a pair of chain wheels 5! whichis. carried upon the shaft 55,

which, in turn, is journalled on the support mem-' ber 42 with one ofthe chain wheels on either side of the support member 42.

The chain 58 passes around o'ne of the chain wheels 5 5', under thesheaves 6!! and overithe sheaves 82 in normal fashion for connection tothe drive mechanisms of the loom (not shown).

The free ends of the cranks 6 are provided with rollers 64 which arefixed on the cranks by means of pins 66. These rollers roll in the slots'38 so a that when the cranks are driven through their are of movementby the crank driving means 3, comprising the chain wheels 54 and chain58, the rollers move longitudinally along the slot 38 of the lever arms4 (this can best be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 6 of thedrawing). 7 Toward the lower part of the lever arms 4, there areattached guide rollers 68 journalled on the axles it which are carriedby the brackets "i2 fastened by bolts T4 to the web 24. As, can be seenfrom Figures 2 and 3, these guide roll'ers fit between the two channelmembers G8 and serve to keep the lever arms 5 swinging in parallelplanes during the operation of the shuttle drive mechanisms. 1 l l Theconnecting meansv lti'consist of a pitman 'ie provided on the inner endwith a clevis it which fits over the lever arms 4. i Clevis pins 88extend through the clevis 78 and through the desired opening 36 in thearms 4, thus operatively connecting the means It] to the arms Theoutside ends of the pitman 16 are provided with outside threadedelements 82 to which the lug 84, extending from'the shuttle bar I2, isadjustably fastened by means of the nuts 86. V

The shuttle bars l2 are slidably carried upon the lay 23 by means of thebracket 83. The inner end 96 of the shuttle bars is provided withshuttle grasping and engaging means 92 which are operated forconnection'with and release of the shuttle by means of the operatingunit 94. This unit consists of a pair of lever members 96, pivoted atone end 98 to the bar I? and at the other end Hi8 to the roller 32 andthe lever member its which, in turn, is pivoted at the opposite end tothe rod clamp I138. The rod clamp W8 is adjustably fastened to the rodliLwhich is slidable in bar I2, by means" of the screw I 52.

Engagement of the rollers it? with the cam members let upon passage ofthe bar 'I2,into

the shed forces'the'rod Iii outwardly from the end 90 of the bar 12,thus" operating the shuttle release mechanism. in known fashion.

various parts of mechanism of this invention in.

mind, from the description given above, the operation thereof can now bedescribed in conjunction with Figures 8 to 12, giving a better idea of.the new method of operation of looms :as provided by this invention.

With the shuttle H4 in position in left-hand shuttle bar 12 downwardmovement of the respective crank 6 begins the drive of the shuttle intothe shed of the loom (see Figure 8). As the shuttle bar proceeds furtherinto the shed, the shuttle increases in acceleration as it passes theselvage and until it reaches approximately the center point of the lay.At the same time, the opposing shuttle bar-enters the loom to meet theincoming shuttle, but it passes its point of maximum movement into theshed before meeting the incoming shuttle, so that it begins its returnmovement before picking up the shuttle from the first shuttle bar.

As can be seen from Figures 8 to 10, while the empty carrier is makingits stroke into the shed, the cranks move 120 and, while the shuttle isbeing brought to the center, the cranks move 165. During the intervalbetween the end of the in stroke of the empty carrier and the exchangeof the shuttle, the empty carrier reverses its direction of motion andincreases its speed, going out of the shed at an average speed greaterthan it enters with, so that at the time the shuttle is exchanged, thetwo carriers are movin at the same speed and in the same direction. Inthis way, the shuttle is passed at a time when the shuttle bar whichbrought it into the shed is just starting to slow down and the one whichis receiving it has speeded up to the same speed on the return motion ofthis shuttle bar. The drop in acceleration of the shuttle at the exactmoment of transfer from one to another is considerably less than thedrop in acceleration experienced by shuttles passed as in methods ofweaving used heretofore. After the shuttle is carried beyond the selvageon the opposite side by the second shuttle bar, a selvage loop is formedin the filling and the picking, as described, is repeated.

As can be seen from the detailed description given above, a new methodof picking the shuttle across the shed of a loom and new apparatus foraccomplishing this new method have been provided by the presentinvention. As a matter of fact, actual operations on standard weavinglooms in wire cloth weaving establishments have shown that the shuttlemay safely operate at about 80 picks per minute, using the new methodsand procedures of this invention, a compared with a maximum safe speedof about 65 picks obtained with the best drive mechanisms knownheretofore. These new methods and apparatus make possible the operationof looms at higher speeds, so that a greater amount of woven goods canbe turned out per machine for any given period of operation. It will beclear to those skilled in the art that other apparatus may be employedto accomplish the new methods of shuttle driving, as described herein,and that the preferred type of mechanism for this purpose, as disclosedabove, can be altered in various respects by substitution of mechanicalequivalents for the particular elements illustrated and described. Forexample, a slide and slide way arrangement be made.

. conceived and reduced to practice during the course oi thisdevelopment, these novel features are defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A loom comprising a frame, a shuttle bar slidably carried by theframe on each side thereof, a pair of pendulous elements pivoted at acommon point above said bars for swinging movement parallel to oneanother, means connecting a bar on each side of the frame to theunpivoted end of one of said elements, a pair of cranks fixed at anobtuse angle to one another for oscillation in an arc in a planeparallel to the plane of swinging of said elements, a movable connectionbetween each one of said cranks and a separate one of said elementswhereby the end of each crank reciprocates longitudinall along itsrespective pendulous element when oscillated in said arc, and means fordriving said cranks in said arc.

2. A shuttle drive mechanism for looms comprising in combination a pairof opposed shuttle bars having means on one end for releasablyengaging ashuttle and having the other end attached to a connecting rod, a pair oflever arms pivoted at a common point above the loom reeds, with theother ends of said arms each being connected to one of said connectingrods, a longitudinal slot in each of said lever arms, a chain wheeljournalled to rotate in a plane parallel to the plane of movement ofsaid lever arms and cranks carried by said chain wheel, each of saidcranks having a portion of its outer end positioned for oscillation inthe slot of one of said lever arms.

3. A shuttle drive mechanism for looms comprising in combination a pairof shuttle bars slidably mounted on opposite sides of the loom, aconnecting rod pivoted to the outside end of a shuttle bar on each sideof the loom, a pair of lever arms pivoted at a common point above theloom reeds for swinging movement in planes parallel to one another, theinside end of each connecting rod being pivoted to the lower end of arespective lever arm, a chain wheel journalled above the loom reeds andbelow said lever arm pivot point between said lever arms in a planeparallel to the planes of movement of said lever arms, a longitudinalslot in each of said lever arms located approximately midway in the arm,a pair of cranks fastened to said chain wheel at an obtuse angle to oneanother, an operative connection between the free end of each crank armand its respective lever arm slot, whereby said free end oscillatesalong said slot when moved in a circular path by the chain wheel andmeans for rotating said chain wheel.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein said crank arms areprovided at their free end with rollers which roll in the longitudinalslots of the lever arms.

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein said lever arms areprovided with rollers which roll in guide ways carried by the loom framein line with the path of swinging movement of the lever arm guiding theroller so that the lever arm is guided thereby during its movement.

6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein said connecting rods arepivoted to said lever REFERENCES CITED arms by clevls pins and saidlever arms are p The following references are of record in the videdwith a SBIIESV of holes to receive the P1115 file of t patent:

whereby adjustment can be made in the length of travel of the connectingrod upon operation of i the lever arms by choice of the lever arm holeto UNITED STATES PATENTS which the connecting rod is attached. figi ggggg '12s 15s Bullock et a1. May 12 1903 NI L DA E E HOUGHTON 994,295 YOStJune 6, 1911 1,925,044 Briggs Aug. 29, 1933

